The travel map of people is gradually expanding, and more and more individuals are beginning to favor cities that are not first-tier and offer high cost-performance.
Rejecting the whirlwind style of tourism and various internet celebrity check-ins, the main tone of travel in City C is a slow-paced journey, which has also become a new choice for travelers.
When we turn our gaze to the northwest of our country, the vast region of Xinjiang has become a popular travel destination for many, thanks to places like Ili and Altay. However, if you still want to maintain a slow-paced experience and avoid the crowds, why not take the opposite approach and explore the new City C, Shihezi?
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Beixi Betsy
From the desolate Gobi to the garden city, red is the base color of Shihezi. The poet Ai Qing once wrote in “The Young City”: “Every blade of grass and every tree is formed from blood and sweat.” A bowl of Shihezi cold noodles carries the nostalgia of generations of military reclamation workers for their homeland, transforming the barren Gobi into a garden city over decades of effort, completing the miracle of turning desert into oasis.
As the roar of machines turns into colorful brushes, and the Danxia landform shines alongside the grasslands and mountains, the story of the new City C, Shihezi, continues to unfold.
01
S101 Highway
The S101 provincial road is approximately 300 kilometers long, winding through mountains, Gobi canyons, grassland forests, and river valleys…
The scenery along the way rivals that of the Duku Highway, with magnificent Danxia landforms forming a “three-dimensional gallery,” which has been recommended countless times by National Geographic.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Yuuko Yuzu
Starting from the city center of Shihezi, heading to the Bailei Danxia Viewing Platform, you can see the majestic beauty of the S101 highway. The red landforms of the Anji River Grand Canyon appear as if split by a giant axe, with a nearly 300-meter drop providing a strong visual impact; passing through the Hongshanzui Danxia feels like traversing through a colorful gallery, with the vividly colored orange-red mountains resembling fire and clouds, along with the Kenswat Reservoir embraced by the mountains and the deer antler bay ranch on the snow-capped mountains… Each stop is a dual enjoyment for the soul and the eyes.
02
General Mountain Liaojing Ecological Park
Located about 13 kilometers from the city center of Shihezi, General Mountain Liaojing Ecological Park is a paradise for nature lovers and a point of cultural and historical fusion.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Yuuko Yuzu
The pink-purple moss phlox planted in the park is the largest sea of moss phlox in western China. Every spring and summer, the mountains are covered with a sea of pink flowers, and the faint floral fragrance lingers in the air, turning General Mountain into a pink-purple ocean. This season is perfect for bringing children and friends to General Mountain for a day of immersion in nature, hiking, picnicking, and escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, quietly enjoying the joy of a leisurely day; this is the charm of General Mountain.
03
Cold Noodle Street
In Shihezi, cold noodles are a must-try delicacy. During the military reclamation era, people from all over gathered in Shihezi, using the local Xinjiang-style cold noodles as a base, adding soup materials from Shaanxi and Sichuan to create the uniquely flavored Shihezi cold noodles. Today, Shihezi cold noodles have become one of the most popular dishes on local tables.
△Image Source: Visual China
Today, Shihezi cold noodles have become a culinary calling card for the area. Shihezi has created a “Cold Noodle Street” near the original Bayi Wool Textile Factory, filled with various cold noodle shops, gathering the “top-tier” cold noodle shops of Shihezi. These shops have developed their own specialties and pairings based on the original, but they all carry the childhood flavors of Shihezi residents.
04
Zhangyu Baron Winery
Since its completion in 2013, Zhangyu Baron Winery has become an unmissable scenic spot in Shihezi.
The winery covers thousands of acres, with about 5,000 acres dedicated to exclusive planting. Utilizing Xinjiang’s unique natural conditions, the wine produced has a deep ruby color, rich fruit aromas mixed with oak scents, and a layered taste that is unique in the world of wine.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Smiling Travel
If you are not interested in wine, the winery’s unique European-style architecture is also a great photo spot. The grand main building of the winery is nestled among the vineyards, accompanied by the fragrant aroma of grapes, making it feel like stepping into a fairy tale dream. Changing into suitable clothes for photos is also a good choice.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Xiaowei Travel
05
Happiness Road Pedestrian Street
Happiness Road Pedestrian Street is located in the commercial core area of Shihezi and also carries the memories of a generation of Shihezi residents.
During the day, Happiness Road is a nostalgic journey, with nostalgic-themed shops on both sides of the street exuding the flavors of childhood, old items from the military reclamation period, and various graffiti on the walls, creating a strong sense of history, as if crossing time and space back to decades ago. At night, Happiness Road transforms into a “food paradise,” with Xinjiang specialties like hand-grabbed rice, baked buns, and big plate chicken that are also delicious must-tries!
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Travel Life
06
Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Museum
Established in 1988 and opened in 1995, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Museum is one of the few national first-class museums themed on “reclamation and border defense”.
The story of Shihezi is condensed within the museum’s space, where artifacts, images, and texts tell the story of Shihezi’s past and present for decades.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Orange Cherry
Even outside the museum, the square is filled with old items: the Soviet-style People’s Cinema, and the “meritorious aircraft” parked in the square… The unique history of military reclamation gives Shihezi a different charm compared to other places, creating a legendary era in the Xinjiang desert.
△Image Source: Ctrip Community @Miss Unruly’s Adventures
When travel is no longer limited by destinations, City C brings us more choices and possibilities, without having to think about how to check in at more places, without considering prices and tickets, just pack your bags and set off; happiness is that simple.
Source: Shihezi Cultural Tourism Voice, Ctrip Strategy Community
Welcome to reprint, please indicate the source: Shihezi Zero Distance
Editor: Zhang Lanlan
Review: Jiao Yafeng Liu Bei
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